WASHINGTON, D.C. (NAFB) – The tone is set on the climate change debate in the House Agriculture Committee, and it took place during the committee’s first hearing.

Committee Chair David Scott says changes in weather patterns bring serious risks to production agriculture, forest resources, and the overall economy. He says, “These risks cannot be understated.” He also says the USDA’s Economic Research Service notes that climate change will likely affect risk-management tools, financial markets, and America’s global food security, as well as many other areas.

Ranking Member G.T. Thompson says agriculture has been on the menu when it comes to climate change, noting that last week’s hearing now puts agriculture at the table. The Hagstrom Report says Thompson wants to be very clear on his position, which is that “The climate is changing, the Earth’s temperature is rising, and I trust the science that global industrial activity has contributed to the issue.”

Thompson says we should be reducing global emissions because it’s the right thing to do. “It requires smart science-based policies,” Thompson adds. “But the apocalyptic narrative of the world coming to an end within a decade is not evidence-based and isn’t supported by science.”